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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — a leader
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. drill — army training
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. face — to confront
  13. stock — shares
  14. bound — certain
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — goods
  23. band — a music group
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com